Posted 2018-07-23European Tour Update: You can help!
I need “crowd-sorcerers” to help
co-create a magical journey. :)
Quick Summary:
- I’m inviting Daily Groovers and other friends to subscribe to a special email list for sharing ideas and co-creating wonderful learning experiences during my family’s upcoming tour of 7 European countries. (Details below.)
- We want to connect with European families and groups who share our passion for creative partnership in parenting and education.
- From now through September 30, normal Daily Groove messages may have
“EU-Tour Update” links at the top.
The Whole Story...
Back in March, I announced that I was invited to speak at the Conscious Parenting Festival, in Sweden, this August, and that I wanted to expand the trip to include other countries where I might connect with people who want to talk about natural, partnership-style parenting and/or
My partner, Beth, and our two young adult daughters, Olivia (21) and Willow (17), wanted to experience Europe, too, so we decided to make it a family trip. It’ll be the first time we’ve traveled together outside of North America, so we’re all very excited.
Of course we want to see some of the well-known cultural wonders of Europe, but we know from other travel experiences and gatherings that the real magic unfolds through human connections. By connecting with others who resonate with our “crazy” ideas about people living in harmony with each other and with Nature (including human nature), we are energized to uphold our commitment to those possibilities.
Several of you saw my announcement and reached out, offering hospitality and/or willingness to organize gatherings. This generosity informed our initial round of planning — buying airfare well in advance while the lowest prices were available — even though the detailed plans have yet to be made. Working out the details is what I’m inviting you all now to help us with, if you live near one of our destinations, or if you are a seasoned traveler and want to share tips and recommendations.
Our Plans, So Far
Here is a list of the countries, arrival dates, and cities where we are making (or have made) plans to visit:
- Sweden (Aug 14: Stockholm region)
- Italy (
Aug 22Aug 16: Milan, Brescia, Verona, Venice, Fossano) - France (Aug 28: Paris)
- Netherlands (Aug 31: The Hague, Amsterdam)
- Belgium (Sept 2 or 3: Brussels)
- Germany (Sept 5: Berlin, Schulfrei-Festival in Damelack,
Bad Belzig,Rangsdorf) - England (Sept 12: Manchester, York, Leeds, Callington, Bideford,
Glastonbury,Oxford, London)
Ironically, once these plans were set and we had purchased all of the non-refundable airfares, the organizers of the Conscious Parenting Festival encountered personal challenges which led them to cancel the event! So we now have a week day in Stockholm with no plans. We are trusting that Life will present us with a new path to co-create magical connections while we’re there. :) Please let me know if you have ideas!
BTW... Even though I hope to talk with lots of people about topics related to my work as a parenting coach/writer, I’m not seeking to make money on this trip. Any gatherings we co-organize will be informal and admission-free, with no products or services for sale. (I’m planning a fundraiser to help with our travel expenses.)
Living In Harmony – a love story
My partnership with Beth began 30 years ago when Fate put us together in an a cappella Christmas caroling quartet. Four years later we married, and we were both still singing professionally nine years after we met, when we entered parenthood and decided to put our music careers aside.
One of our last gigs was singing in a Big Band-style quartet called “The Moonlighters.” (The other alto was Valerie Day, of Nu Shooz fame, if you’re old enough to remember that one-hit wonder from the 80s!) Olivia was only a few months old, and my sister held her backstage at the Seattle Opera House while Beth, Valerie, our tenor Don, and I sang old Glenn Miller songs like Jukebox Saturday Night, in close harmony, backed by a full orchestra... Total magic!
Shortly thereafter we read The Continuum Concept and everything changed...
I eventually shifted fully into parent coaching, but Beth managed to reconnect with her musical career while the kids were still young, conferring a deep love of singing to them as well.
Fast forward to three months ago, when we started planning where to go after the Conscious Parenting Festival. I followed my curiosity to see if either of our two favorite a cappella groups — The Real Group and Accent — were performing in Europe. Lo and behold, it so happens they are both performing at an a cappella music festival called Vocalmente, near Milan, and the timing is perfect! Even better, we signed up for the “Vocalmente Academy” option, through which we can participate in the singing and learn new skills from some of the world’s best a cappella singers.
Going to Vocalmente Academy has inspired me to write some a cappella vocal arrangements customized for our unusual quartet of two old pros and two self-educated young women with limited choral experience. The girls have been surprising us with how fast they are picking up advanced harmony singing skills, and it’s looking like we could have four songs learned by the time we get to Italy.
For me, people singing in harmony has always been a symbol of people living in harmony. We work hard and whole-heartedly, in partnership, to create a thing of beauty that none of us could have created alone. To sing and live in harmony with my family is a dream come true.
Join Us!
If you feel inspired to participate in my family’s adventure by sharing your ideas or other resources, and possibly even meeting us at one of our destinations to talk about the ups and downs, hows and whys of partnership parenting and education, click here:
Subscribe to
The Noelle Family’s
European Adventure
mailing list
Either way, I’ll be including short update links at the top of upcoming Daily Groove messages so you can follow our progress if you want to.
In harmony,
~Scott
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